Narrative:

During climb out, automatic slat fail annunciated after slat retraction with subsequent failures in order: both radars, both IRU's, both FMS's, both pfd's (horizons) and both nd's (CDI moving map displays). This was a part 91 ferry flight, crew only ZZZ to ZZZZ, first officer, 3 pilots (2 capts and 1 international relief officer) + 5 flight attendant's. On climb out experienced moderate precipitation and these failures occurred at approximately FL250 on climb to FL350. Autoplt and autothrottles also inoperative. Was instructed to intercept an airway and told center that we were experiencing navigation problems and they issued heading of 225 degree. Stopped climb at FL310 after loss of flight instruments. Relied on emergency horizon, RMI, compass, airspeed and altimeter, and ivsi. We could not regain the instruments that were lost as previously mentioned. Called dispatch and they concurred ZZZ1 was VMC at 16000 P6 SM. Thin undercast was at approximately 5000 ft MSL and was 2000 ft thick with good visibility underneath. Declared emergency and received radar vectors and altitude assignments to runway xx at ZZZ1. Landed uneventfully. Taxied to ramp and coordinated with maintenance and made logbook write up. Analysis--water in the east & east compartment. Filed irregularity report with director of flight operations, he informed me that the previous crew of flight attendant's did not post flight the ice chests in fwd galley (2) nor the ice tray in serving cart. Neither did the flight attendant's on our crew either since it was a part 91 flight. After rotation the melted ice (water) leaked and it wound up in the east & east compartment shorting out electric equipment. Evidently, the galley drain mast was plugged up as well. This situation was entirely preventable and could have been fatal if night, IMC (low) or thunderstorms were present. Company put out bulletin to flight attendant's on this problem. Dispose of all melted ice before leaving aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that maintenance personnel have confirmed that the electrical/electronics failures were caused by water leaking into the east & east compartment from the area of the fwd galley. Reporter states that in addition to the water in the galley and service cart ice trays, there was an ice chest containing water stowed in the fwd coat locker. Reporter also stated that he has been advised by his airline's director of operations that there have been previous incidents of partial electrical failures attributed to the same causes in other MD88 aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES COMPLETE LOSS OF FLT AND NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, DECLARES EMER, AND DIVERTS.

Narrative: DURING CLB OUT, AUTO SLAT FAIL ANNUNCIATED AFTER SLAT RETRACTION WITH SUBSEQUENT FAILURES IN ORDER: BOTH RADARS, BOTH IRU'S, BOTH FMS'S, BOTH PFD'S (HORIZONS) AND BOTH ND'S (CDI MOVING MAP DISPLAYS). THIS WAS A PART 91 FERRY FLT, CREW ONLY ZZZ TO ZZZZ, FO, 3 PLTS (2 CAPTS AND 1 IRO) + 5 FA'S. ON CLB OUT EXPERIENCED MODERATE PRECIP AND THESE FAILURES OCCURRED AT APPROX FL250 ON CLB TO FL350. AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES ALSO INOP. WAS INSTRUCTED TO INTERCEPT AN AIRWAY AND TOLD CENTER THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING NAVIGATION PROBS AND THEY ISSUED HDG OF 225 DEG. STOPPED CLB AT FL310 AFTER LOSS OF FLT INSTS. RELIED ON EMER HORIZON, RMI, COMPASS, AIRSPEED AND ALTIMETER, AND IVSI. WE COULD NOT REGAIN THE INSTRUMENTS THAT WERE LOST AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. CALLED DISPATCH AND THEY CONCURRED ZZZ1 WAS VMC AT 16000 P6 SM. THIN UNDERCAST WAS AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL AND WAS 2000 FT THICK WITH GOOD VIS UNDERNEATH. DECLARED EMER AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS TO RWY XX AT ZZZ1. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TAXIED TO RAMP AND COORDINATED WITH MAINT AND MADE LOGBOOK WRITE UP. ANALYSIS--WATER IN THE E & E COMPARTMENT. FILED IRREGULARITY RPT WITH DIRECTOR OF FLT OPS, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE PREVIOUS CREW OF FA'S DID NOT POST FLT THE ICE CHESTS IN FWD GALLEY (2) NOR THE ICE TRAY IN SERVING CART. NEITHER DID THE FA'S ON OUR CREW EITHER SINCE IT WAS A PART 91 FLT. AFTER ROTATION THE MELTED ICE (WATER) LEAKED AND IT WOUND UP IN THE E & E COMPARTMENT SHORTING OUT ELECTRIC EQUIP. EVIDENTLY, THE GALLEY DRAIN MAST WAS PLUGGED UP AS WELL. THIS SIT WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE AND COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL IF NIGHT, IMC (LOW) OR TSTMS WERE PRESENT. COMPANY PUT OUT BULLETIN TO FA'S ON THIS PROB. DISPOSE OF ALL MELTED ICE BEFORE LEAVING ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS FAILURES WERE CAUSED BY WATER LEAKING INTO THE E & E COMPARTMENT FROM THE AREA OF THE FWD GALLEY. RPTR STATES THAT IN ADDITION TO THE WATER IN THE GALLEY AND SVC CART ICE TRAYS, THERE WAS AN ICE CHEST CONTAINING WATER STOWED IN THE FWD COAT LOCKER. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN ADVISED BY HIS AIRLINE'S DIRECTOR OF OPS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PREVIOUS INCIDENTS OF PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES ATTRIBUTED TO THE SAME CAUSES IN OTHER MD88 ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.